Targeting Early Ice Walleyes With Lipless Crankbaits

It remains a widely held misconception that you need live bait dangling from a hook to catch walleyes. To the contrary, these toothy predatory fish that can be triggered into biting properly presented artificial lures with results often outpacing live bait.

Wired2Fish’s Mitch Anderson demonstrates the effectiveness of lipless crankbaits for early ice walleyes. Baits like the Rapala Rippin Rap and Rapala Ultra Light Crank combine a good-sized baitfish profile with sound and vibration. This is an asset when trying to draw fish to your location, which is the goal in ice fishing where angler mobility is limited.

Mitch gives some insight on staying on top of active fish through the use of an ATV and sonar/GPS combo. Most importantly, Mitch shares how to use your fishfinder to “read” the demeanor of the fish and ultimately trigger walleye into biting.